Cutter for textile fabrics



Oct. 5, 1937. KLAHRE CUTTER FOR TEXTILE FABRICS Filed April 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 5, 1937. A, KLAHRg 2,094,987

CUTTER FOR TEXTILE FABRICS Filed April 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE solidated Trimming Corporation, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 24,

'7 Claims.

My present invention refers to certain new and useful improvements in cutting devices for severing strips of textile fabrics of various kinds into narrow longitudinal lengths, the invention being more particularly adapted for producing cut fringe, but being applicable to various branches of the textile industry where fringes or fabrics of asimilar ln'nd are employed for various purposes in the way of ornamentation or the finishing of hangin s, upholstery, and the like; and wherein it is found most practicable and effective to weave tapings, webs or edgings of the fringe fabric in comparatively narrcw widths or strips, but endless in length, and intended to furnish two rows of cut fringe, said narrow woven material being subdivided by cutting longitudinally into fringe strips to form proportionate sizes of the pieces of cut fringe as required for the particular conventional manufacturing uses for which they are employed.

In a very broad sense the invention is designed to provide'means for cutting across a bunch or series of threads or fringe elements by a cross cutting operation that will not disturb or disarrange by the dispersion of any of the threads their relative placement, but will leave the raw ends of both sides of the cut harmoniously and evenly dispose-d in a fringe or tassel which is perfectly even On the edges, without any tendency to hump or bulge or ruck up. In a very special class of manufacture the object of the invention is to furnish a cutting means which will sever the fringe material accurately along a central or other line and in such a manner that the separate cross threads will all be cleanly cut, and will not become distorted or misplaced or disarranged from their normal position during or in consequence of cutting, but will be kept in situ during severance and afterwards, and with a complete and firm raw end or edge of all the threads which are being held closely compacted together at these cut ends, and thus in satisfactory condition for the subsequent ,uses to which the cut fringe is put. All this is done in a muchmore efficient and easy manner than heretofore, and, more especially, the production of the fringe is simplified, cheapened and carried on with numerous other incidental advantages by dispensing with the central warp threads or seams which are usually woven lengthwise through the fringe fabric in order to furnish stay means on thefringe threads at opposite sides of the central cutting line, as is the practice "with known devices for severing the fringe, .for. holding said threads at the raw 1936, Serial No. 76,121

edges of the fringe during the severing operation, which warp threads are not only expensive to in sert but must be removed from the cut fringe by hand before it can be used, thus entailing large expense for labor and waste of time in achieving the proper results, besides the liability of raveling, diffusion and tangling of the cut threads. The use of these warp seams which are so necessary with known methods of preparing cut fringe, greatly complicates the employment of dyeing processes for the fringe, particularly where the warp threads must be removed after dyeing, all of which is avoided by the use of my device which absolutely does away with the warp threads, as they are entirely unnecessary.

The invention may be said to consist essentially in the rotating circular cutting knife or disk, a means for firmly holding the fringe fabric taut and straight while it is being introduced to the cutter to secure a clean cut and straight crosscut of the threads, means for feeding the material to the knife, and for disposing of the strips or sections of the cut fringe or fabric automatically after they have been cut; and furthermore the invention comprises numerous details and peculiarities in the construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the ensuing claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved textile or fabric cutting machine for making out fringe;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional horizontal plan view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional detail View on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout all the different figures of the drawing.

The main frame of the machine in which the several mechanical parts are conveniently placed;

2 J 7 j *2,094,9s'7 I tically-slidable journalg blocks' 24, controlled by the handscrews 23, whose bearings are in the" cross-heads I3, so that .thebearing blocks 24 may 'belifted or lowered to adjust the position of the v 5 horizontal shaft ,II, whose ends are journaled in Y 7 jsaid boxes '24 and thus regulate the tension of 'rollers I4.; This'shaft II carries the pair ofpressure and feedrollers I4, having preferably a rubher or' elastic peripheral face adapted to bear upon' the fringeor textile fabric and cause it to be delivered in a firm taut manner to the action of i V The vertical uprights 3,, 3, in the V V side frames alsofserve tohold the lower journal, bearings 30, which carry the lower rotary hori- .1'5 zontal; shaft' I6, which is 'parallel'to the upper I shaft I1, and which; has mounted thereon'the the knife.

loweri rollers I 5, I 5, locateddirectly opposite to the upper rollers I4, I4 and closely contiguous 1 theretosothat the fabric may pass between the" 20 upper. andlower rollers and be fed along while heldlunder'the pressure ofthese rollers.' These upperand lower-rollers are broad faced so as to apply. considerable surface above and below to V a the fringe fabric'and permit the latter to be 2 presented taut and stretched fiat and close to the action of the cutter.

Obviously "each roller I4' is fdirectly opposite *to one of the lower rollers'l5 so that the rollers I4 and I5 comerinto closeassociation; and the horizontal rollers are close to;each-otherfa1so.

The main frame of themachinecarries a front 40 towards and away from each other by means of p the' clampingwrods 'l, I'having handles on the upper end thereof andhavi'ng the lower-portions screw-threaded t 'Tpass through slots '3 I, 3| in said bars36,i'and also through openings m ne l 45'table 2, the lcwer ends of these screw-threaded v portions of theclampingrods 'I'being provided with clamping nuts I2, I2. By loosening the nuts therefore, the guide bars 6 may be horizontally adjusted with relation to each other and "permit? 50 ted to allow the guides II to receive fabrics of greater 'or less "width. 7 When the nuts 12 are V bythe operator of the'machin'e. r I V I 'The main cutting element consists of a circular steel knife'or disk 4, of greater orless diameter,

preferably held by collars or other devices'on' the V 60 central portion of the horizontal driving shaft II) which is journaled in an adjustable frame, and

said disk 4 has a cutting edge whichiiskept' sharp ,'and of'sucha character that; it will sever the r ,gthreads of-the fabric neatly'and evenly at all 65timjes.; '7" p 1 7 I 1 ;'The lower rollersZIS andthe oppositely-located. toprrollers I4, which; receive the textile-material g. between them andfeed the same to thelact'ion of the cutting. knife, have 1 a substantial width as "70 clearlyindicated in Fig} 2, so that they may'exert fa'pressureupon thesurface of marriage webj'A 7 which passes between them. This wide surface 7 7 on the rollers 'enables substantially the entire 7 'width iof the web or fabric to be acted upon and '7 75 compressed and held firmly when it ris' presented as clearly shown in Figsal, 3 and 4.

to the knife, as is clearly shown in Furn thermore, the knife 4, which as stated, is a cir-' cular' steel disk, the form of which may be'sub- -jected to different modifications, and which is V mounted as described in an adjustable frame, is 5 situated closely adjacentoto the feed rollers, and in fact as particularly shown in Fig. 2,'this knife 4 revolves in a narrow space between the two rollers I4 and also between the two rollers I5; see 7' Fig. 3, so that the cutting edge may be'brought as .10

close as possible to the fringe fabric material at that point where it is under pressure between the V i upper and lower rollers, which is a point near to p a vertical linewhich would pass'throughthe shaft 7 I'I of the upper rollers and. the shaft I6 brine 15 lower rollers. fringe fabric is held gripped taut by'these rollers;

and therefore in a state of tension throughout-its entire width, the knife may be brought to exert; 7

its cutting action upon the fabric and sever the same accurately along. the desired line of cut.-

' The factthat the knife is in a very narrow space between the upper rollers and' a corresponding narrow space between-the 'lower rollers causes it to act on the tightly tensioned fabric at; the 25,

proper point to cut it to'the best advantage, because there is only this very small central portion of the fringe that is not actually gripped and firmly held by the rollers but the rollers hold the whole fabric taut at this point; In vfact; only 30.

enoughspace is left at this point for the action of the knife, and as the knife is very'thin the space can be very small. In order to keep'the edge of theknife as close as possible to this tightlyv held portion of the fabric the swinging and ad'- g justable frame for holding the knife isutiliz'ed and employed in the 'mannersetfo rth. So the knife as it wears through grinding is advanced and set closer to th'ecutting point' fronitime totime. i

The shaft I6 which carries the lower rollers I5 '40 has on one end thereof outside of the main frame,

a sprocket wheel around which passes a sprocket chain 22, that'likewise passes around a sprocket pin-ion on a-shaft 32, journaled in the main frame;

as seen in" Fig. 1, which shaft 32 carries onthef end thereof opposite towhere the pinion "isjlo-r cated, a large drive pulley I9 aroundrwhlch runs a belt 33 that passes to the lower part of the main '.frame and engages a grooved section at 34 :of a V main actuating pulley 35, whose shaft is support-Q V V V Y I, ed in the lower portion of the machine, and which r tightened theyclarnp the bars6 rigidly to the table 2 in any predetermined position. Therodsl rise above the level of the table 2, so that the upper a 5.5 ends may be-out ofthe way and readily grasped pulley receives its power through any convenient ,7 connection with motive power that runs the shaft thereof; such connection not-being shown. Furc p I thermore, the belting20'whichconnectswiththe lower'pulley device ,35' passes around the pulley V I8 on-the shaft I0 of the main cutting disk 4,'and

serves'to drive the same coincidently with the actuation of the rollers which receive and deliver the fringe fabric to the cutter under tension, all

In order therefore that the cutting edge of the I 7 disk 4 may always be'kept as close as possible to the part of the fringe fabric which is held:

tightly between the rollers I4 and the oppositely I ,shaft I flinlts mounting in'the frame for speedy.

revolution is held in hearings in an adjustable frame composed of vertical members 34 arranged to rock on a supporting pivotal shaft 35 at their lower ends, and having near their upper "ends bolts having lock nuts 3'I thereon which maybe .75 V

Thisis so, in order'thatwhen'the' easily loosened and tightened, such lock bolts projecting through slots 36 in stationary extensions 38 forming a part of the upper upright frames including the posts 3, 3 to which these horizontal bars 38 are bolted. Thus as the edge of the disk 4 is worn away by the various processes ofsharpening the same in order that it may constantly keep its required keen edge, said rotary knife is adjusted from time to time by loosening and tightening the nuts 31, and thus presenting the edge of the cutter more closely to the operative point where the fringe is held under tension.

The fringe with which my machine is customarily utilized is indicated at A, for an example, before it is cut, and when it is first introduced into the machine, and the two parts into which the fabric A is cut by the action of the knife 4 are shown at a on the delivery side of the machine. The severed portions a fall over the inclined rear table 8 and are spread away from each other by the V-shaped guide consisting of cleats 9 arranged on the table 8, and coming to a point close to the point Where the knife 4 acts and cuts the web whose strips (1. thus diverge from said point, so that the two cut sections a, a may be discharged accurately and quickly out of the machine and into suitable receptacles if desired which receive the same.

It may be here remarked that this particular fabric with which this machine is intended to be used is a narrow woven fabric in a multitude of different sizes, but ordinarily intended to be utilized in the manufacture of braid, narrow trimming or fringed material of different kinds. In such manufacturing it is the customary practice to Weave a narrow fabric as at A, but this is only one stage of the manufacture, and the fabric A is not the final form which it assumes for use, but this narrow fabric'or weave A is designed to be cut into two narrow lengths or widths by cutting along a central line through a out which must be very accurately and clearly made, because it must leave raw edges that must not be allowed to permit the threads to become dissociated from each other, for then the fringe would 7 be worthless for use in subsequent operations. The fringe fabric A is woven in a narrow fabric loom and consists of finished edges in which there may be two or three or any number of threads, and between these finished edges is the transverse fringe'composed of a series of parallel threads of greater or less weight, size, compactness, number of threads, and character so that the texture of the fringe product may be determined therebyf The problem therefore is to out these threads along a central line with a clean and straight cross-cut.

It has been andis the uniform practice in the art in the process of weaving the fringe fabric A, to weave thereinto centrally a pair of parallel warp seams or threads which would be very closely contiguous to the median line, in order that in cutting the fabric A into two parts the cut might be made between these two seams, the latter serving to temporarily hold the edges in a firm and cohesive fashion while being cut. In the operation of my improved machine however the material in the form of the fabric A, which is supplied thereto'for the purpose of being cut, omits the use of the two parallel central wraps, because the action of my improved mechanism does not require the use of these seams. This is a very important desideratum and constitutes a marked improvement by simplifying the operation by diminishing the required handling of the material,

'becauseit is evident that when such seams are introduced into the weaving of the fabric, the halves of said fabric after they have been cut,

must be divested of these seams which thenbecome useless, but they must be removed before the fabric can be used in the subsequent manufacturing operations.

When the fabric A is carried into the machine firmly and surely by the action of the feed rollers l4 and I5 which grip the fabric tightly between their associated peripheries, as indicated in Fig. 3at a point where the knife 4 which is rapidly revolving applies its cutting effect to the fabric A along a central line, the result is that the fabric is out without the need of any such stiffening and holding warps, and it is out cleanly ,without any ravelling or irregular projecting filaments or edges of the threads, so that a firm cohesive raw edge on each of the subdivided strips is provided, and these strips a after leaving the machine are in perfect condition for such uses as they are naturally put to in the manufacturing operations for which they are adapted. These valuable results are secured and attained by the relations of the mechanical parts to each other and to the fringe in the method of handling the latter and offering the fabric to the action of the cutting edge in a close form, and the expeditious manner in which these parts cooperate for cutting and subdividing a fabric of this character.

Of course fringes or thread groups of varying Widths may be submitted to the cutting operation, and I do not wish to be restricted, though at the same time the machine is primarily designed for fabrics'of a narrow width which are made in that manner for the purpose of being afterward split into two or more parts by the cleavage of a knife, so that while the fabric may always be designated as one of narrow width, the width may vary to some extent. This is provided for by the adjustable guide members 6, 6 through whose grooves the fabric A passes in the manner which I have described. The fact that the resulting strips a are carried away from the machine by the parting effect of the V- shaped directing guide, is a useful feature in the disposition of the fabric, for it enables the complete material to be transferred from the cutting machine to a place where it'can be immediately carried off for its other uses, and results in a distinct gain in the method of operation and the simplifying action of themanufacture.

Many details in the exact construction and relative arrangement of the parts of this machine may be changed from time to time to suit the exigencies of different cases and different uses and kinds of material, and the combination herein portrayed is presented as one successful specimen of the invention, but without any idea that the same would be confined thereto in all of its embodiments, but liberty is reserved to change and reconstruct the details of the machine insofar as this may be possible or desirable within the limits of the following claims.

The operation of my improved fabric cutting device needs little further explanation to make it fully understandable, in addition to the previous description which I. have given of the relative arrangement of the various parts and their detailed construction. When the fabric A arrives at the machine it slips thereinto over the curved ledge 2 at the front of the work table 2, and passes between the grooved guides II on bars 6, and is thereby directed certainly and. accurately I toward 'the-iknife lt "Th1s'nioVement of the fabric a A is controlled absolutely by these, guides 'll whichare adjustable with respectjto the width ,ofithefabric, so that it mu be delivered'fiat and taut with its'whole width'restin'g on the table, from which it immediately'passes between the lower rolls 1 5 and theu'pper rolls [4, being theree by gripped and pressed whilebeingffediorward to theknifelwhich performs its cutting severance along 'themedium'longitudinal line of the 7 fabric1in' them'anner that I have already set I forth; The cleft fringe fabric which is cut into "appearance, is composed in' the main of traris-,;

V V the twofringe strips a, a, are ledjout vofj-the ma- -Vchi'ne over .the inclined 'dro'ptable 8, being 15 guided -by the ledges 9 on said table 8. The

"fabric'A, whileit has atits outer edge a'finished V verse threads in a compact series offparallel members adaptable to be made into fringe for various purposes, and when the knife 4 acts-uponv the threads'under the peculiar conditions stated where the fabric and its threads are so'fiatly and tautlyheld while being fed forward, the cutting action-does notdisturb' the position of the ends of the threads but they are left relatively firm and insubstantially the same position after be-,

i ingcut as they were before being cut, notwithstanding the fact that the ends'of these threads are then free and under other conditions 'might become disarrangedor tangled, and the strips" a confused with respect to the strings or threads of which they are composed,which would. impair V the usefulness in future operations of the fabric V r sections so constituted, all of which dangers and 135 r ting by the use of a rotary knife which places its disadvantages are obviated by the method of cutsharpcutting action against and upon'the cross threads of the fringe while in a' taut state. j

What Iclairn is: i

t f 1; In the device of the class described, the combination with'a circular knife, of feedyrolle'rs arranged in pairs abovea'nd'belo'w and themembers of'which are closely contiguous to each other with'a' narrow intervening space into which the circular knife projects, and means for accurately "directing the textile strip between the rollersso ,that itmay be acted upon by; the knife at'a l point where itis taut betweenthe-rollers,and-

1 'means for delivering'the cut material'from the j machinelin narrowstrips comprising essentially, a V-shaped guidelocated in alinement with the edgeof'the circular knifer' J V means 2. In combination with 'a circular vertical 'ro-' rtary knife, means forfeedingea fringe web inia tautvstate thereto; means for guiding the fringe web to the feeding means, and iv-shaped guide 'means'for separatingthe ,cut fringe pieces after being ut, the apex of; the V-shaped guiding 3. In a. machine of' the class, described, the

combination of circular rotary knife, a guiding means for' introducing thetextile fringe into the r machine, pairs of rollers 'forrreceiving said' mate rial and imparting theretofa. tension 'when it reaches the I knife, saidf rollers being locatedt on opposite, sides 'of the knife so that the cutting;

'j point thereof will be closely contiguous to said rollers at'a point where the fringe is held taut,

means for adjusting the edge of the knifeerelatively to the point where the .taut ,fringe' is dethe rollers.

ing alined 'with -the edge or the knife] "liveredfthereto, and means comprising a guide having an inclined face and located below the rotary-knife to divert the separate cut strips from the machine in different directions. I 4, In a machine of the class described, thec'on' bination of a circular rotary knife, guidingmeans 'forintroducing'textile material into the may 7 7 chine, 'thesame having'adjustable'grooved mem bers, feed;,rolls arranged in: pairs on opposite 7 sides of the'knifeand, receiving-the textile material fro'mthe guiding means and feeding the same forward under tension 's'o'that it will reach the knife while in iaftaut 'state -tOgether withja V-Vguide means for discharging the separate cut .strips from the machine, said guide havingdts apex alined with and close to therotar'y'knife'in I Jan inclined position below'and beyond thelatter.

5. In a machine'of the class described, the

combination'oflaacircular'rotary knife, a frame in .which it is mounted, means for adjusting; Jsaidframe soas to relate the cutting edge of" ther knife to the point :whereit acts upon, the textile material soas to compensate'forwearand enable the cutting to'be performed at the point where the material is under the strongest ten- ;sion, pairsfof feed rollers for delivering 'textile materialto the cutter, said rollersrhaving an elastic action with reference to each other so 7 that the material maybe fed forward under tension andgmay reach the cutter while it is in a V tautstate; and said rollersbeing located on oppo- Will be in'a'narrow spacebetween and close to 6. In a machine of .the class describedzthe combination of a circular rotary knife, an adjust site sides of the knifejso that the cutting-point V able iramein which itis. mountedso that the cut-r;

the same having'grooved members forthemateting edges may be advanced asfrequired, means for guiding the textile'material into the machine, 40' 1 'rial,- and feed rollers located close tothe knife: andhaving broad faces to exert pressure through outza substantial width on the textile material r to keep the same flat and taut when it is undergoing the'cutting actionfto prevent fraying and scattering of't'ne threads'and a; V-shaped guide for delivering-the separate jcut str'ipslfrom the V f 7 machine. 1

I 7'-'In a. machine; ofthe class described, jth

combinationof a circular rotary knife,means for' r adjustably supDQrting'the'shaftof the knife with I referenceto its Work socthat it maybe fedfore' V 7 Ward aslthe edge is ground-awayin sharpening, ,m'eans -forgdelivering fringe 'to the 'knife rcon sisting offeed rolls on opposite sidesrofthe :knife;

the :same being" arranged inpairs" andfhaving flat peripheral faces 'whichiexert' a tension upon 7 strips as they leave'themachine. 

